As Joe Di stepped into the thirteenth level, a surge of violent power swept over him once again—this time, it was even stronger than what he faced on the twelfth level.
Joe Di unleashed another Blade of Rule, then frantically activated his Rule Cycle. With every completed cycle, the terrifying pressure pressing down on him gradually weakened.
Several days passed before Joe Di finally managed to stabilize his body, grinding away the overwhelming force that weighed upon him.
Yet a faint anxiety crept into Joe Di's heart. The Alliance Dao Tower still had many more levels ahead, and each one would surely grow more difficult. If the time he spent on every layer kept increasing, it might delay his journey to Xianhai.
Even if it meant a delay, Joe Di refused to give up halfway. He pressed forward and entered the fourteenth level.
"Pfft!" It felt as if his soul itself was being torn apart. The instant Joe Di stepped into the fourteenth level, a jet of blood burst from his mouth.
Joe Di couldn't help but wonder—if he hadn't been cultivating the Rule Cycle, and hadn't immediately activated it upon entering the fourteenth level, he would likely have been thrown out of the Alliance Dao Tower already.
This couldn't go on. While operating his Rule Cycle, Joe Di tried to channel that terrifying rule power into the Ninth World, hoping to relieve the crushing force.
To Joe Di's astonishment, he easily drew the surrounding rule power into the Ninth World. In that instant, he no longer needed to keep running the Rule Cycle—the oppressive forces and soul-crushing pressure vanished without a trace. No matter how vast and powerful the pressure, the Ninth World could absorb and disperse it all.
So this was possible! Without a second thought, Joe Di strode directly into the fifteenth level...
The sixteenth level, the seventeenth level...
...
As Joe Di entered the fifteenth level, a wave of disappointed sighs swept across the Alliance Dao Tower Plaza. The golden dot on the Alliance Dao Monument had vanished, signifying that the cultivator who reached the fourteenth level had failed and been ejected from the tower.
Everyone was searching for Joe Di's whereabouts. They all knew who had entered the fourteenth level, but strangely, no one could find him; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.
A young man, wearing a golden crown and exuding a hint of otherworldly aura, was also searching. He was more excited than anyone else—years ago, Damian Ning had only reached the twelfth level to obtain the Cosmic Essence, but today, this new contender had made it to the fourteenth.
He was certain that whoever had crossed into the fourteenth level had obtained the Cosmic Essence. While that was his main focus, he knew there must be other secrets as well. Anyone who could surpass the tenth level of the Alliance Dao Tower surely possessed hidden powers.
But soon, all of these would be his. As long as he secured a top-tier artifact, he was confident his strength would be restored.
If only the World Tree Cauldron hadn't been snatched away by Jiang Zhong back then, costing him his chance—he wouldn't have ended up like this. Unable even to qualify for the Creation War, he was still stuck in this forgotten corner.
That old zombie who stole his World Tree Cauldron, whom he always looked down upon, had already advanced to the third stage, while Jude Wan himself, no matter how many years passed, remained stuck at half-step Dao Fusion.
After searching with his divine sense, Jude Wan quickly confirmed that the cultivator who had entered the fourteenth level of the Alliance Dao Tower had not come out. If that person had exited, he would have seen it for sure.
He wasn't impatient. After waiting so many years, Jude Wan could afford to wait a few more days. No matter what, he would not let the cultivator who entered the fourteenth level of the Alliance Dao Tower slip away.
...
When Joe Di stepped into the eighteenth level of the Alliance Dao Tower, even though he immediately channeled the terrifying rule power into the Ninth World, the overwhelming force crashed down on him as if the universe itself was reversing and chaos collapsing.
At that moment, Joe Di began his Rule Cycle, and the clear, vast cosmic Dao resonance made him feel as if he stood at the dawn of chaos itself.
The rules here were so distinct, almost tangible, crisscrossing around him. Joe Di drew a sharp breath—cultivating in a place like this, not to mention Hunyuan, even reaching the Third Step would be within reach.
Sweeping out with his divine sense, Joe Di quickly realized he was at the eighteenth level of the Alliance Dao Tower—the very top.
Joe Di still hadn't seen any sign of the Cosmic Essence. For now, his top priority was to break through to late-stage Hunyuan. With such perfect conditions, not cultivating here would be a crime.
Joe Di didn't bother to draw out a top-grade spirit vein. With spiritual energy this dense, who needed spirit veins to cultivate?
After two cycles of his cultivation method, Joe Di sensed a hint of primordial creation—the Dao resonance of chaos splitting apart.
Layer upon layer of Dao resonance formed cocoons around Joe Di as he operated his Rule Cycle. His power surged with every passing moment, and by now, Joe Di had forgotten everything outside, lost in his fervent cultivation.
In just a matter of days, the Dao resonance within Joe Di's cosmic meridians grew ever clearer, almost taking on the substantial quality of the Dao aura atop the Alliance Dao Tower.
For the first time, Joe Di felt as if he had become one with the universe. In that moment, he grasped all the forces within it—he was no longer an insignificant speck, easily erased from existence.
Boom!
It was as if both his soul and body were simultaneously bathed in the purest Dao aura of heaven and earth. A cool, refreshing sensation surged through Joe Di, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
He had broken through to late-stage Hunyuan, and his cultivation was incomparably solid. His sea of consciousness grew stronger, and his divine sense seemed ready to pierce the very universe. Though it was just an illusion, Joe Di's heart surged with excitement.
Opportunity—how crucial it truly was. Not even in his dreams had Joe Di imagined reaching late-stage Hunyuan so effortlessly.
But what surprised him even more was that, for the first time, he hadn't used any spirit herbs or rare treasures—his Dao Eye had advanced to the fourth level: the Divine Dao Eye.
With his Dao Eye open, Joe Di vaguely saw the outlines of the universe, perhaps glimpsing the endless mysteries hidden within.
Joe Di withdrew his gaze from the void, focusing on the very center of the tower's summit, where a jade basin hovered in midair.
Endless Dao aura swirled around the jade basin, its breath reminiscent of the primordial cosmic resonance Joe Di had sensed before. This aura enveloped the area around the basin like a natural barrier, preventing anyone from approaching.
Inside the jade basin was a pool of golden liquid, filling half the vessel.
Joe Di sprang to his feet, excitement surging through him. He was almost certain that the substance within the jade basin was the Cosmic Essence he had longed for.
Joe Di nearly burst out laughing—legend had it that obtaining even a single drop of Cosmic Essence was nearly impossible, yet here he was, effortlessly claiming an entire basin.
Unable to hold back any longer, Joe Di reached out and tore open the natural barrier surrounding the jade basin, grabbing for it. To him, the barrier was as thin as a veil, easily ripped apart.
From this moment on, the basin of Cosmic Essence was his.
Boom! As if the heavens themselves were shattering, a flood of cosmic power crashed down upon Joe Di, nearly blasting him out of the Alliance Dao Tower.
Barely managing to steady himself, Joe Di's face went pale. Staring at the jade basin, he was shaken—could it be that, after seeing the Cosmic Essence, he wouldn't be able to take even a single drop?
No matter what it took, he was determined to claim some Cosmic Essence. Joe Di took a deep breath and produced a jade flask—a treasure he'd found in the vast ruins of the Dao Realm, likely belonging to the Guangjing Holy Sect. But now, it would serve to collect the Cosmic Essence.